Returning to Meal Planning – Week 7 

I’m returning to Meal Planning!! It has been quite some time since I did. Finishing up work and starting studying just took all my time and I didn’t keep on top of it like I should have. Having had a few months break, I can certainly see the difference to our budget. Our expenses went way up not planning out our meals. We definitely bought food more, didn’t use it properly, had leftovers and unused food we didn’t use. We wasted a lot!

 

Well, I’ve seen the error of my ways and I am not going to get it a go again.

 

I am a little bit anxious in that I haven’t followed my own rules. Normally, I would set up the plan on Saturday and then do my shop on Sunday morning. But I’ve made the decision to start and start immediately. So here I am on a Tuesday returning to meal planning. We can only wait to see the outcome.

Returning to Meal Planning – Week 7 

My original inspiration for Meal Planning came from a great guest post on meal planning on AllThingsMomSydney.

I then documented the early days. If you didn’t follow my trials and tribulations, you can find them in Meal Planning Week 2,  Meal Planning Week 3  and Meal Planning Week 4  and Meal Planning Week 5 and 6.

After a long hiatus and poor planning on my part we, as a family, are now returning to Meal Planning!

 

Step 1: What is in the fridge 

 

The answer here is NOTHING! We just had a party on the weekend so the fridge is virtually empty. So is the freezer, it had to be emptied to fit the ice cream cake. So i’m starting with a pretty bare canvas except for beef strips.

So I’ll take out what I have and use those for tonight’s meal.

Everything else will have to be bought.

 

 

Step 2: The Shop

Generally, the idea is to use what you have from the pantry, fridge and freezer as a basis for your meal plan and then just buy what you need to complete the meals. In my current situation, I had virtually nothing except for my pantry staples.

 

Heading off to the shops, I am looking for meat specials to base the meals on. I have two requirements though:

(a) my youngest loves my savoury mince and she is sick so she can have that this week; and

(b) I try alternate chicken and pork with red meat because my kids don’t eat enough red meat in their diet. Their go to is always chicken nuggets or fish…

 

Now this really is all backwards because I should have started with a menu but I didn’t. So don’t take this as the holy grail of meal planning. This is merely my haphazard return to meal planning. Next week will be better, I promise! 

 

Meal Planning Week 7: The Menu

 

So, this week we will be having:

Tuesday

 

Sticky Beef Strips, Cous Cous and vegetables. This is so easy to do and it helps that my kids love cous cous.

All you got to do is marinade the beef strips in the afternoon with a little lime or lemon juice to help tenderise the beef, add your sweet chilli and salt and pepper.

To cook, you should fry them on a very high heat for a few minutes until they are cooked through.

For veggies, I will make carrots, corn and zucchini all in the microwave steamer.

 

Wednesday

Crumbed chicken breasts with chips and salad.

With pre-made crumbed chicken breasts baked in the oven and oven baked chips, this is a really really easy meal. I need this after spending the whole day entertaining my three year old.

And bearing in mind it’s Halloween and we’ll be out tricking and treating we need something that is quick, easy and that the kids love.

 

Thursday

Spaghetti Bolgnaise is my youngest’s absolute favourite. And a favourite of my husband’s as well.

 

I make my own savoury mince cooked with an opinion, half a green pepper, a tin of tomato. I also hide a grated carrot and a grated zucchini in it.

 

Friday

 

Roast chicken with rolls and salad. I’m very happy to make my own roast chicken but seeing as it costs almost the same per kilogram to buy a cooked chicken from the store, that’s what I will do. Fresh rolls and salad make this a full meal.

 

Now my husband is not a big salad eater but if I make a small side salad with cucumber, tomato, julienne carrots and feta he should eat it all. No lettuce though!!

 

♦